Tag: Evan Engram

Jaguars TE Evan Engram injures hamstring in warmups; out vs. Browns

That’s one less weapon to defend.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced that starting tight end Evan Engram is out against the Cleveland Browns for today’s Week 2 matchup.

After being projected to start for the Jaguars this week, Evan Engram was announced as out late this morning. Engram aggravated his hamstring during his pregame warmup routine and was not comfortable enough to participate in today’s game. There are no details as to what Engram was doing when the injury occurred. The extent of his injury is also unclear and we will most likely find out more after this afternoon’s contest. Luke Farrell will look to replace Engram.

In week 1, Engram did not perform his best but still saw four targets from his QB and caught one pass for five yards. This is a tough loss for the Jaguars as Trevor Lawrence lost a much-needed blocker and one of his favorite targets.

This is a break for the Browns defense who will now look to focus more on wide receivers Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars’ star suffers pre-game injury, out vs. Browns

Jaguars’ star suffers pre-game injury, out vs. Browns

Jaguars star tight end Evan Engram suffered a hamstring injury in pre-game warmups before Jacksonville’s home opener against Cleveland on Sunday, forcing him out of the contest, the club announced.

Engram was not included on Jacksonville’s inactive list, released minutes before his injury was revealed.

Engram is in his third season as Jacksonville’s starting tight end, after joining the franchise on a one-year free-agent contract during the 2022 offseason.

He inked a three-year, $41.3 million extension with the Jaguars last summer after reaching career-highs of 73 receptions and 766 yards in his first season with the team.

Besting his effort from the year before, Engram’s career-high 114 receptions in 2023 were the second-most in a single season in Jacksonville history, behind only wide receiver Jimmy Smith’s 116 in 1999.

In 35 games including 30 starts with the Jaguars, Engram has caught 188 passes for 1,734 yards and eight touchdowns.

Engram and safety Darnell Savage Jr. are the only Jaguars’ starters ruled out of Week 2 specifically, although starting cornerback Tyson Campbell will not play after being placed on injured reserve Thursday. He will miss at least four games.

Key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns

Key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns

Coming off a tough loss in South Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars are set for their home opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday as both teams look to avoid an 0-2 start. 

This week Jacksonville looks to be more consistent with its offensive production while Cleveland is again forced to deal with quarterback Deshaun Watson and his off-field issues as the Browns await the return of all-world running back Nick Chubb.

Week 2 will give both teams a better picture of what and who they are moving forward into the 2024 campaign. The Jaguars hope for better execution in their offensive approach following their blown lead to the Miami Dolphins.

With that in mind, Jaguars Wire is here to identify some key matchups for Jacksonville’s Week 2 matchup with Cleveland. Here are three matchups the Jaguars must win to avoid a winless start to the season.

Cleveland QB Deshaun Watson vs. Jacksonville’s defense

One of the key takeaways from this past Sunday was the Jaguars’ admirable defensive performance against the explosive Dolphins offense. They mostly limited significant explosive plays and generated four-man pressures through their front four.

Browns head coach and play-caller Kevin Stefanski is known for his offensive creativity and has put Watson in positions to succeed. But since returning from suspension nearly two seasons ago, the former Clemson standout has yet to return to his pre-2021 form.

Watson’s performance against the Dallas Cowboys offered a clear sign of his current abilities.

According to Next Gen Stats, Watson was pressured on 44.6% of dropbacks, finishing 5-of-17 for 22 yards against pressure while being sacked six times. His 23.2 percent dropback success rate was the lowest in a game in the Next Gen Stats era.

Watson has declined, and the Jaguars have the defense to force him off his spot and into bad decisions. Plus, Jacksonville has the athletic defenders necessary to stick with Watson in quarterback contain.

If defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s unit can generate pressures and rattle Watson early, it should be a good day for Jacksonville.

Jacksonville’s offensive line vs. Cleveland’s defensive line

The trenches will be a key matchup in this game but none more crucial than the Jaguars offensive line against the Browns stellar pass rush, led by All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett.

Jacksonville’s front five did a decent job of protecting franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence against the Dolphins, allowing a pressure rate of 32%, ranking No. 14 in the NFL in Week 1.

However, Cleveland defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is arguably the best in the game at his position and finds ways of consistently getting to the QB. Against the Cowboys, most of the Browns’ pressures came from a defensive front featuring three defensive ends and one defensive tackle.

Having an extra edge rusher lined up at the three-technique could prove disadvantageous for Jacksonville’s guards due to the speed and quickness of Cleveland’s rushers. Schwartz will likely deploy this fairly often in passing situations.

The biggest concern will be if the Jaguars can limit Garrett, arguably the best pass rusher in the world. This offensive line will also have to account for defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris, and defensive ends Za’Darius Smith and Alex Wright.

Jacksonville seems up for the challenge considering its Week 1 performance. Right guard Brandon Scherff must have a better game after an up-and-down showing in Miami. However, left guard Ezra Cleveland and center Mitch Morse held their own against the Dolphins and can build upon their performances this week. 

Tackles Cam Robinson and Anton Harrison will have a lot on their plate Sunday, but another solid day from these five linemen could signal success for the Jaguars in Week 2. 

Jacksonville’s skill players vs. Cleveland’s back-seven

Once again, the Jaguars’ group of offensive skill players will face another tough secondary only this time on their home turf.

The Browns have a defensive unit that allowed a negative .20 expected points added (EPA) per play allowed. Their back seven is led by star linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward with more quality defenders roaming the second and third level.

For most teams, including Jacksonville, facing Cleveland’s back seven is a tall task. Nevertheless, the Jaguars have last week’s first-half performance to go off of when it comes to taking on other stout back seven defenders.

Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. must be a focal point Sunday. The offense was humming when he was being targeted and he adds a level of explosiveness and playmaking ability this unit has not had in quite some time. His zero targets in the second half were inexcusable.

This weekend could be a good time for the Jaguars to deploy Evan Engram into the passing game in his new versatile role as the F-move tight end and fullback. He could be the X-factor against a tough Browns secondary.

Finding explosive plays and getting the ball to the team’s best playmakers will be another crucial aspect in their pursuit of a home-opener victory. 

Jaguars announce five team captains for 2024 season

Jaguars announce five team captains for 2024 season

The Jaguars announced five team captains Tuesday morning, awarding quarterback Trevor Lawrence, tight end Evan Engram, defensive end Joshua Hines-Allen, linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and punter Logan Cooke the honors for the 2024 season.

Lawrence returns to his leadership post for a fourth consecutive campaign, every season he has been with Jacksonville since his first overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft, and Oluokun does the same for his third.

Viewed as franchise cornerstones, Lawrence, Oluokun and Hines-Allen each signed long-term contracts with Jacksonville this offseason.

Lawrence and Hines-Allen both inked five-year deals with the club, Lawrence’s worth $275 million through 2030 and Hines-Allen’s $141.3 million through 2028. Oluokun tacked three years and $30 million onto his original contract with the Jaguars, which had one season remaining.

In three seasons and 50 starts with the Jaguars, Lawrence has completed 63.8% of his passes for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions, adding 11 scores on the ground.

Hines-Allen, Jacksonville’s 2019 first-round pick, set the team’s single-season sack record with 17.5 last season, bringing his career total to 45 sacks, paired with 53 tackles for loss, nine forced fumbles, one interception, eight defended passes and 251 total tackles.

Oluokun, who signed with Jacksonville in 2022 after four seasons with Atlanta, has compiled 357 total tackles including 20 for loss, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and 11 defended passes with the Jaguars.

Engram, also a 2022 free-agent signee, finished last season with the second-most receptions in one year in Jaguars history, with 114.

After spending the first five seasons of his career with New York, Engram has posted 187 receptions for 1,729 tards and eight touchdowns with Jacksonville. He is on pace to surpass his reception total with the Giants in three seasons with the Jaguars.

Cooke has operated as Jacksonville’s starting punter since his 2018 seventh-round selection by the club, averaging 47.1 yards per attempt with 162 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line thus far.

Jacksonville will kick off its season at Miami on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Film review: Jaguars’ Evan Engram has a new role in 2024

Film review: Jaguars’ Evan Engram has a new role in 2024

Jacksonville’s regular season is just over a week away from commencement. The team spent a decent chunk of the past week cutting their roster down from 90 to 53 players and constructing the 17-man practice squad.

Last week marked the final preseason game for roster bubble players to make their case to be on the gameday roster. While the game offered plenty of standouts, it also provided a glimpse at a player who is one of the most important skill players on the team.

Tight end Evan Engram put up career-high numbers with 114 receptions and 963 receiving yards with the Jaguars in 2023.

Yet, it seemed it was not utilized in the way many have hoped since he was selected in the top 15 picks of the 2016 NFL Draft, as he averaged a career-low 8.4 yards per reception.

But it looks like new offensive coordinator Press Taylor has found a way to use Engram. 

There were whispers during training camp of Engram taking on new roles this season, and it appears they are coming to fruition.

Not necessarily by shifting to an in-line focus, considering Engram spent roughly one snap there for every two in the slot or out wide in 2023, but as an even greater alignment-versatile player who could be a Swiss army knife for the Jaguars’ offense moving forward.

Last Friday night showed what could be expected from the former All-American standout.

The clips above show Engram lined up as a fullback with Luke Farrell as the in-line “Y” in this offset strong I-formation during the first two plays for Jacksonville’s offense. The former can be seen making blocks at the second level and slowing down the backside defender on the respective reps.

In the two offensive series he played, Engram lined up almost everywhere. Along with the first two plays at fullback, he saw snaps as an H-back and motioned to create Bunch and Trips looks out of shotgun and single-back formations.

Engram also played in the Z alignment off the line of scrimmage, as the in-line Y and in the slot. When the Jaguars approached or entered the red zone, Engram became the offense’s focal point. 

The former Ole Miss standout caught two touchdown passes from star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Both of them were well-thrown, accurate passes.

Yet, Engram’s prowess as a receiver stood out. That is his superpower.

The Jaguars are not going to succeed offensively if they keep him as an in-line-only player and restrict him. Engram is most dangerous when in space and playing one-on-one against slot cornerbacks and safeties in the red zone.

Here, the Jaguars run a spacing concept out of a bunch set with Engram running a seam route as the Y on the weak side of the formation.

He baits the cornerback into committing his hips to the boundary, allowing him to swim over the defender and work back inside. Lawrence makes a fantastic throw between two defenders as Engram displays excellent concentration to secure the grab for six points. 

Engram’s usage in this offense already seems different than in years past. He appears less restricted by his alignment and more loose moving around the formation.

His ability to threaten defenses from any alignment makes the Jaguars offense much more dangerous. That will be key, especially with the development and progression of first-round wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

The Jaguars are entering a crucial season in a year where the AFC looks as stacked as ever and the AFC South is on the rise. Engram will be an integral part of the offense in more ways than one and his two lone drives in the final preseason game provide a sneak peak of what is to come.

Jaguars breeze past Falcons’ reserves in preseason finale, 31-0

Jaguars breeze past Falcons’ reserves in preseason finale, 31-0

The Jaguars finished the preseason undefeated for a second consecutive year, completing the 2024 trifecta against the Falcons on Friday night, 31-0.

It was a win of dominant fashion for the Jaguars, but one that needs context relative to preseason coaching philosophy: Jacksonville played its offensive starters for two drives and defensive first-teamers for four series; Atlanta kept its starters and most backups on the bench for the second-straight week.

Jaguars starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and tight end Evan Engram connected for scores on back-to-back drives to open the game, with Lawrence completing 8-of-10 passes for 92 yards and Engram catching four for 27 in that stretch.

Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. also produced a big catch-and-run on a pass from Lawrence for a 38-yard gain.

Jacksonville’s defense held Atlanta scoreless on the night with the Falcons punting on all but four of their drives.

Three of those series ended in turnovers on downs; one was a one-play kneel-down by quarterback Taylor Heinicke to end the first half. Two Atlanta drives ended in Jacksonville territory.

Jaguars edge rusher Travon Walker wreaked early havoc on Heinicke, recording a sack and batting up a pass that almost ended up in the breadbasket of rookie Jacksonville defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson.

Walker was one of six Jaguars to defend a pass, alongside defensive linemen Trevis Gipson and Roy Robertson-Harris, cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Montaric Brown and safety Darnell Savage Jr.

“Proud of everyone and the way they competed tonight,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said following the win, before describing how he weighed the performance considering the level of competition.

“I don’t look at it as far as, like, us versus them that way. I look at it as just us, right? Our execution. Are we executing? Are we targeted the right way? Especially on the offensive line. Are we fitting gaps in the defense? Are we in the right coverage leverage? Things of that — we’re still working on things.

“At the end of the day when the ball is snapped, yeah, there is a man over you and you’ve got to do your best to win that matchup. But it’s more about assignment football. And when your starters don’t play a ton, games like this matter because you want them to feel like they came away feeling good about themselves and execution was good.”

Jacksonville has every reason to feel good after beating Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Atlanta by a combined 77-20 this month, with its warm-up ahead of the regular season now complete.

The Jaguars will spend the next few days confronting tough decisions about the bottom of its roster, ahead of the NFL’s 53-player cutdown deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Aug, 27.

“I think there’s a lot of competition on this team. Usually, you go in and you might have two or three bubble guys, I think we’ve got a lot more than that in terms of just competition to make the final 53,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said on Aug. 17.

“Are we going to keep six at one position or seven? There’s just going to be a lot of debates that go on … to figure this out.”

Twelve days will separate the finalization of Jacksonville’s roster and its 2024 regular-season opener, at Miami on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET.

Watch: Evan Engram catches two acrobatic TDs in Jaguars vs. Falcons

Watch: Evan Engram catches two acrobatic TDs in Jaguars vs. Falcons

It might be Week 3 of the preseason, but Evan Engram looks like he is already in midseason form.

Engram made an acrobatic, contested, toe-tapping touchdown catch on the first offensive drive of Jacksonville’s preseason finale at Atlanta Friday night, hauling in a quick pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to give the Jaguars the first lead of the game.

The Jaguars’ social media team put it well: “Are you kidding me?”

The catch marked Engram’s third of the series and was one of his four on the night, making for an active final exhibition for the Jaguars’ starting tight end as the 2024 regular season approaches.

Engram’s next grab went for another score, a five-yard, leaping catch on a pass from Lawrence with more space around him in the end zone, the final play of the night for Jacksonville’s starting offense.

Engram’s 114 receptions posted last year were the second-most in a single season in Jaguars history, behind wide receiver Jimmy Smith’s 116 in 1999. He finished the campaign with 963 yards and four touchdowns.

In two seasons with Jacksonville, Engram has caught 187 passes for 1,729 yards and eight touchdowns, bringing his seven-year career totals to 449 receptions for 4,557 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Watch: Thomas, Engram go long at Jaguars vs. Buccaneers joint practice

Watch: Thomas, Engram go long at Jaguars vs. Buccaneers joint practice

The Jaguars’ offense came out firing in Jacksonville’s second and final joint practice with Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence uncorked a pair of deep passes to starting Jacksonville pass-catchers, rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and tight end Evan Engram, in the early session of team drills against the Buccaneers defense.

Jaguars Wire caught both pitch-and-catches on camera. Watch those clips below.

Operating from the slot, Thomas released inside into a seam route and burned rookie Buccaneers defensive back Tykee Smith immediately upon shifting north.

Lawrence threw Thomas open by placing the pass inside and away from the defenders trailing the receiver, trusting the rookie would maintain his separation. Thomas did, and he tracked the ball in perfectly while between the hashes. He jogged into the end zone untouched from there.

Before the practice, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson praised Thomas for his development throughout his debut training camp and preseason with the club.

In a fashion similar to his big practice catch Thursday, Thomas hauled in a deep pass from backup quarterback C.J. Beathard for the first in-game (albeit preseason) reception of his NFL career on Saturday, a 41-yard gain against Kansas City.

“He’s been doing a really nice job. It showed up a couple of plays in the game last week and then this week in practice,” Pederson said.

“He continues to grow, and just he and Trevor keep talking and working. That’s what’s going to take, you’re not going to be a finished product right away, but if he continues to improve and just learn with the offense, grow with the offense. But he’s been doing a really good job.”

Engram’s reception did not go as long as Thomas’, but he similarly had green grass ahead of him after finding an opening between Buccaneers safety Kaevon Merriweather and linebacker Lavonte David up the seam.

Lawrence dropped the pass right over David’s head and into Engram’s hands, about 30 yards down the field.

Kickoff between the Jaguars and Buccaneers is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville.

NFL personnel: Jaguars’ Evan Engram among top 10 TEs

NFL personnel: Jaguars’ Evan Engram among top 10 TEs

Anonymous NFL executives, coaches and scouts consider Jacksonville’s Evan Engram as the ninth-best tight end in the league entering the 2024 season, according to polling conducted by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Engram fell one spot from his No. 8 standing last offseason but remained in the top 10 for a second year in a row, a feat Fowler acknowledged some voters had hoped for during the tight end’s injury-impacted, five-season stint with the New York Giants between 2017-21.

“Many of the evaluators who kept voting for Engram when he struggled in New York can revel now that Engram has been highly productive in Jacksonville,” Fowler wrote.

Engram was voted as highly as the NFL’s fifth-best tight end this offseason while at least one person ranked him outside of the top 10.

Engram led all tight ends in 2023 with 143 targets and 114 receptions in 2023, the latter stat ranking second in single-season Jaguars’ history, generating four touchdowns and a career-high 963 yards.

Per ESPN and Next Gen Stats, Engram’s 558 routes run led NFL tight ends last season “by far,” as did his 62.5% success rate on tight-window throws.

“He’s a matchup problem — you can’t put a linebacker on him,” an AFC executive told Fowler. “You put him on shallow crossers and get the ball out quickly in space and on screens and he can do damage.”

Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. and edge rusher Joshua Hines-Allen were named among the top 10 players at their respective positions by ESPN’s polling of NFL personnel released earlier this week. Jacksonville’s Andre Cisco was named an honorable mention safety in the same set of surveys.

Fantasy Football Top-10 Repeatability: Tight Ends

Take a step back and see how the Top-10 tight ends change from year to year.

Elite tight ends are notoriously thin in the fantasy world, so it is no big surprise to see a high amount of volatile players from year to year. It is a position that really only offers about three or four players with any real difference-making statistics.

Also see: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver 

Chance of repeating Top-10 = 60%

The reality with tight ends is that the Top-5 tend to dominate the fantasy scoring for the position, and the rest make minimal difference, if any. But the position is improving each year in terms of increasing their roles on their respective teams.

Had Mark Andrews remained healthy, he would have pushed the tight ends up even higher. The exciting development is that four of the Top-10 came from a sub-No. 40 finish in 2022. Sam LaPorta was an exception for the ages as a break out rookie, but Trey McBride and Jake Ferguson both showed up in the Top-10 in just their second season, after a little-used rookie year.

The general rule with tight ends is that if they’ve had back-to-back Top-10 seasons, that they offer reliable value. The position is expanding in use by NFL teams and are starting to remake how receivers contribute.